Knights of the Raven
by Mattwho81
Summary: A Knights of the raven short story, this is an exerpt from a larger story i am currently writting.


**Warhammer 40k**

A Knights of the Raven story

Novice-Librarian Chlordane stood firmly at attention just inside the training gymnasium's door, he'd been standing here for almost an hour waiting for his next order and if necessary he'd stand there till the ship's night cycle. Obedience was bred into the Astartes from the first hour of their training, he'd been ordered to wait here and wait here he shall. In the meantime he took the opportunity to study the gymnasium, a large echoing space with padded floors easily able to fit half a company of Space Marines in full plate. High above hung large machines that he knew could cause off-putting winds or sudden fogs or even shifting gravity fields to simulate battlefield conditions. The walls were festooned with weapons, classic claws and short swords hanging next to exotic staves and mauls, many weapons were subtly off balance curious weights attached in awkward positions to force the warrior to adapt and innovate. Standing absolutely still he gazed at each weapon, calculating the best way to use it and how it would fare against every other weapon in turn.

"Aren't you even going to touch one?" came a question from right behind him, Chlordane couldn't stop himself from flinching and spinning around to face the intruder, only to find Brother-Commander Artemis looming not a hand-span from his shoulders, arms folded across his broad chest. He supposed he should be used to this by now, the senior brothers did so love their little training exercises, but somehow one could never quite get used to the way they just appeared where-ever they will. It wasn't just the silence, that was easy, it was that they made no impression on their environment, no shifting shadows or vibration of footfalls not even a subtle breath of air, quite simply nothing that big should be able to move so completely unnoticed.

"Well?" Artemis asked again,

"I wasn't given permission to touch anything sir" Chlordane answered snapping back to attention ramrod straight.

Artemis grinned, "Relax, we aren't Ultramarines young one, we expect you to show some initiative" he replied.

"Yes sir" Chlordane replied as he shuffled his feet and looked down.

Artemis moved past him onto the mats and Chlordane saw that he was attired in a basic grey tunic marked like his own with the crest of the Knights of the Raven but he bore heavy leather vambraces on his arms and felted boots on his feet. Chlordane followed him onto the mats wondering if here was a secret of the senior brothers and also where he could get a pair made.

Brother-Commander Artemis moved to the walls and picked up a double thickness Nalwood staff with padded weights on either end and swung it effortlessly around his body in a well-practiced motion. Chlordane instantly knew the staff would amplify his already impressive strength and went to pick out a pair of tonfa that would emphasize his speed and agility. "Better" said Artemis with his sly grin, the two took up positions on the mat and bowed in the traditional manner. Before they had finished rising Artemis swept forward with a vertical strike coming up from below but Chlordane was used to this trick and holding his weapons along the lengths of his forearms deflected the strike into the diagonal towards empty space. Artemis seemed to stumble forward, off-balance but Chlordane didn't fall for the obvious trap and skipped back spinning his clubs in defensive patterns. Artemis advanced again placing his feet deliberately wide and with each step struck out, high and low alternating hands never giving away a hint of his next vector. However Chlordane kept his guard in tight, meeting each blow with an angled defence, diverting the power away from the centre of their bodies rather than meeting it head on. Then there was a single moment when the staff was slightly out of line and Chlordane ducked, swinging his tonfa around his hand towards Artemis's hip but the senior brother swept the staff across his body meeting the blow and pushing it back. Chlordane stumbled back fighting for room but Artemis didn't follow instead saying, "Good moves".

"Father-Chaplain Samaras has honoured me with personal tuition in recent days" replied Chlordane keeping his eyes fixed on his opponents hands. It was a mistake as lighting fast Artemis's foot lashed out and caught him on the shin there was a sharp pain and Chlordane gasped and hopped back. He saw a glint of silver and realised the felt boots weren't for stealth at all but rather concealed hidden claw blades. Artemis too moved back and said, "Let that be a lesson, fancy moves are all well and good but if you intend to survive on the battlefield then you'll need to be ready to face a foe who fights dirty".

Chlordane blinked back tears of pain but still caught the subtle emphasis in his tone and replied, "Battlefield sir, then you are considering me for deployment?" Artemis began circling again spinning his staff around his hands, it seemed a showy move and in the hands of any other opponent Chlordane would have thought it sloppy. However Artemis had proved his skill and experience and Chlordane wouldn't be goaded into making a rash action. He kept his distance hopping backwards favouring his good leg, the Brother-Commander raised an eyebrow at the unexpected move and said, "Yes indeed brother-novice I may have need of your special skills"

Chlordane kept his distance looking for the next strike, "I don't think I understand your meaning sir"

Artemis lunged forward with the weighted end of his staff and Chlordane was forced to swing back on his good leg, throwing his arms up to push away, he caught the staff just behind the padded weight but the impact still made his arms sting.

Artemis recovered his weapon and moved back into a defensive posture, "I am meeting with the last of this planet's rulers and I want you there to provide a… different perspective".

Chlordane tested his leg and found his enhanced biology had restored full function; he closed in and began a series of probing thrusts as he said, "If you mean what I think you mean sir then I must refuse".

Artemis met each probe with a slight twist of the staff knocking the blows off his vambraces, enough to deflect aggression without giving anything away, "Explain yourself novice"

Chlordane realised he was being baited and moved back so he could talk uninterrupted, "Sir I understand the value that my psychic 'gifts' could be to you but I have sworn binding oaths of abstinence to Father-Chaplain Samaras before the God-Emperor. I cannot, I will not use my abilities until I have been properly trained and sanctified by Chief Librarian Lorenz himself. The potential risks I bring to my brothers vastly outweigh any good I could hope to do".

Artemis stilled his staff and rested its end on the ground at his feet saying, "Then I take it you fear loosing control of your powers?"

Chlordane, could not help but look away in shame as he whispered, "I do, sir"

Artemis replied sternly "And you are right to do so, for the curse of the psyker is the bane for the unprepared and the unwary." He relaxed his stance slightly and cocked his head to one side to say, "Yet consider this, there is far more to being a Librarian than simply being a psychic Space Marine, for you will be expected to use your intellect and your reason as much as your sixth sense. Perhaps uniquely among your brothers you will be expected to think and ponder where others must only obey, to be flexible in your opinions. This is perhaps your greatest gift, the Chaplains bring meaning to our actions but as a Librarian you will bring us perspective. That is what I need now if we are to make an alliance with those whom we were fighting scant days ago."

Chlordane looked up and grinned, "Then I can still go planet-side sir?" he asked.

"Yes young one you can go" laughed Artemis "but just because I let you get away with it this time don't go thinking you can answer back to senior brothers whenever you want. Now you are dismissed."

Chlordane let out a whoop and turned to race out of the hall, only to be stopped by a cough from Artemis. He turned and saw the brother-commander replacing the training staff and nodding to a gap on the wall where Chlordane's tonfa should be resting. Sheepishly he moved over and replaced the weapons but paused for moment and said, "Sir… what would you have done if I had agreed to break my oath not to use my powers?"

"A psyker unable to resist the temptations of abusing his power?" said Artemis moving his left hand in a most curious way and a spring-loaded obsidian blade shot out from his vambrace across his palm. There was not a trace of sympathy in his eyes as he said grimly; "I would have killed you where you stood". Then without even a backwards glance he turned and marched from the hall.


End file.
